Vending apparatus



June 29, 1937.

A. GORRETTA VENDING APPARATUS Original Filed March 7, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Annizaw Goracebta 1N QLNTOTQ June 29, 1937. GORRETTA 2,085,153

VENDING APPARATUS Original Filed March '7, 1955 S-Sheets-Sheet 2 MATcues Axzdsaw Gas: arebba.

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A. GORRETTA VENDING APPARATUS Original Filed March 7, 1935 Sheets-Sheet 5 AT TORNLTs Patented June 29, 1937 S'iA'i'ES PATENT QFBFEQE VENDING APPARATUS Andrew Gerretta, Cleveland, Ohio- 6 Claims.

This invention relates to vending apparatus, and has for a principal object, the provision of new and improved apparatus of this character.

application is a division of my copending -application Serial Number 9,772, filed March 7,

1935, for Vending apparatus.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application, I have shown, for purposes of illustration, one form zwhich my invention may assume, and in these drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of the invention, a portion of the housing being omitted to disclose the interior 15: construction of said embodiment,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective detailed View of a portion of the invention,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view substantially corresponding to the line 33 of Figure 4,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View substantially corresponding to the line 4 i of Figure 3,

Figural? is a fragmentary vertical sectional view substantially corresponding to the line 5-5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view substantially corresponding to the line 6-45 of Figure 3,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view substantially corresponding to the line 1-1 of Figure 6,

Figure 8 discloses co-related perspective views of the match dispensing apparatus,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View of control mechanism employed in connection with the invention,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective View of the under siuface of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 9,

Figure ll is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the coin controlled mechanism, shown in Figure 3, while Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view corresponding substantially to the 45 line i2i2 of Figure 11.

As shown in the drawings, the invention comprises a housing 26, somewhat larger at the bottom than at the top, and including a bottom wall 2!, rear wall 22, top wall 23, side walls 24 and front wall 25, an upper portion 25 of the 1 ront'wall 25 and side walls 24, together forming a closure hinged as at 2? to swing horizontally and adapted to be secured in closed position by a lock 28, the upper portion 26 being adapted when 55 closed to overlap the upper edge of the lower portion 29 of the front wall 25, which is hinged, as at 3D, to swing vertically, it being pointed out that when the upper portion 26 is in locked position, due to its overlapping relation with respect to the lower portion 29, the latter is held closed also, but when the upper portion 26 is unlocked and swung horizontally about its hinge, this releases the upper edge of the portion 29, which may then be swung downwardly about its hinge 30, thereby giving free access to the interior of the housing 28.

Mounted Within the housing 28 are a pair of brackets 3i and 32, similar in construction except for their opposite disposition, and each having a. laterally extending supporting shelf 33, upon which is secured by any suitable means, a horizontally extending plate 35, adapted to support mechanism hereinafter described, the brackets 3i and 32 being spaced apart by the plate 34 so that they rest snugly against the side walls 24 and25 of the housing 20. The brackets 3! and 32 also have inwardly extending supporting shelves 135 to which. are secured the end flanges 36 of a sheet metal support 3'0. The support 31 includes an elongated rear wall 38, provided with a rearwardly extending top flange 39, and end walls ll), carrying the end flanges 35, and each of the end walls 43 (Figure 2), is provided with a projection ii having a slot 42 adapted to register with a slot it in a front bar 44, the support 3? and front bar 44, provid ing a rectangular frame, by which the article carrying parts are supported.

Disposed in each corner of the rectangular frame thus defined, are vertically arranged angle bars in end pairs, 45 and 45, and intermediate angle bars 47, in spaced groups of four, all of the angles bars being positioned and coordinated to define a plurality of article containing stacks 48. The lower ends of the angle bars 45, 46, and 4?, are secured to the support 3? and to the front bar 44, as by spot welding, and the upper ends of said bars are secured to a frame (not shown) similar to that already described, it being appre ciated that the articles are insertable from the tops of the stack defining means, pass downwardly therein under the influence of gravity, and are adapted to be discharged therefrom into a chute 49, when permitted to do so by the operation of control mechanism employed in connection with the invention.

Dispensing means are provided for dispensing the articles, and include a plurality of similar mechanisms, one for each stack, each requiring the presence of a proper coin or coins to release the same, so that the selected article may be dispensed. Each of these mechanism comprises a slide 59, having a flat bottom adapted to slidably rest upon the upper surface of the plate 34, and having lugs projecting downwardly through a slot 52 in the plate 34, and secured to the lugs 5| beneath the plate 34, by means of screws 53, is a metallic strip 54, which confines the slide 59 to its back and forth sliding movement in line with one of the article containing stacks, the limit of rearward movement of the slide 59 being shown in Figure 4, and the limit of forward movement being shown in Figure 5, the slide being normally urged rearwardly by a spring. 55. The upper surface of the slide 59 carries at its rear portion a platform member 56 adaptedin one position of the slide 59 to support an article, indicated at 51, within its related stack, as shown in Figure 4, and in another position, shown in Figure 5, to push the dropped article rearwardly so as to flex a depending leaf spring 51a having its upper end attached to the top flange 39 of the support 31, and as the rear edge of the article drops the spring 51a flips the article into the discharge chute 49 for delivery.

At the forward upper portion of the slide 59 there is provided a pair of transversely spaced coin pockets 58 and 59, open at the bottom, the pocket 58 in the present embodiment being of a size to snugly accommodate a nickel, while the pocket 59 will similarly accommodate a dime. The outer side defining walls of the pockets 58 and 59 are cut out as at 69, for a purpose presently to appear. The forward walls of the pockets 59 and 59 are connected by a web Bi, and to the web 6! is secured one end of an operating handle 92, which projects outwardly through an elongated slot 53 in the casing, and at its outer extremity has an operating knob 64.

Cooperating with the slide 50 are means which,

control movement of the slide 59, dependent upon the presence or absence o f'a coin in one or more of the coin pockets 58 and 59, the mechanisms for both pockets 58 and 59' being the same except for their opposite disposition. Adjacent the coin pocket 58, there is provided an exploring finger 65, pivoted upon the plate 34, asat 66, and normally urged toward the slide 59 by a spring t1, said finger 95 being adapted to enter the cut-out 69 in the pocket 58 as the slide 59 moves forwardly, for the purpose of detecting the presence or absence of a coin therein. Fixedly carried by the finger 65 is a pin 68 ada-ptedto enter a notch 69 formed in the side flange 19 on the slide 59, the parts being so positioned, that. as the slide 59 is drawn forwardly, and a proper coin is present within the pocket 58, the coin first contacts the exploring finger 65 and moves said finger about its pivot in such manner as to prevent the pin 68 from entering, or appreciably entering, the notch 65, and under these conditions theslide 59'may be drawn freely forward. On the other: hand, should a proper coin be absent from. one or the other, or both of the coin pockets 58 and 59, the exploring finger 65 will enter more deeply into the pocket 58, and finding no coin, will permit the. slide'59 to" be drawn forwardly'a suflicient distance to cause the pin 68 to fully enter the notch 69, and further forward movement of the slide 59 will be arrested because of binding action between the pin 68 and the wall of the notch 69 due to the different directions of'movement of the parts; it is understood of course that the mechanism just described for the pocket 58', isduplicated in connectionwith the pocket 59.

By reason of the manner in which the pivoted finger 65 is mounted, it provides pivoted control means, the free end of which is normally disposed cross-wise of the path of movement of the notch 69, and the notch 99 and the pin 98 form coupling means, which, when no coin is present in the related coin pocket, first loosely engage, and then bind, to arrest movement of the dispensing means and of the free portion of the finger 65, along their independent divergent paths of movement.

In order to insure that the slide 59 cannot be moved rearwardly until it has moved to its extreme forward position, I provide a pivoted latch l, carried by the slide 59, cooperable with a rack 72 formed on the upper surface of the plate 34, the latch H being adapted to racket freely over the rack 12 in a forward direction, but engaging the rack 12 to prevent return movement until the limit of the forward movement of the slide is reached, a slot l3 being formed in the plate 34 which permits the latch ll to drop thereinto, and

change its position, and the latch i! then permits free return movement of the slide 59.

For the purpose of preventing an article being shaken from its dropped position in the stack when the slide 59 has been drawn partially forward, an abutment finger M is provided, working through a hole, indicated at '15, in the rear edge of the plate 34, and carried by a lever i9 pivoted, as at l7, to the under surface of the plate 34. The lever it has a cam surface 78, adapted tobe engaged by an offset 79, formed in the strip 54 and movable with the slide 59, to depress the forward end of said lever 79, and'to project the abutment finger M through the hole 15, said lever 19 having another cam surface 89 adapted to be engaged by the opposite end of said offset 19 upon return movement of the slide 59 to insure that the lever 16 is operated to withdraw the abutment finger M from its projected position.

Mechanism is also provided for dispensing packets of matches without charge, said means comprising an upright casing 9!, polygonal in cross-section, the rear wall of which is interrupted as indicated at 92 (Figure 8), and the front wall also is cut-out adjacent the bottom, as at 83, while the side and rear walls have bottom extensions forming ears 84, upon which the stack of matches within said casing is adapted to rest, the casing 9! being supported by a flange 95 secured to the flange 39 of the support 31. A leaf spring99 is secured to the front wall of the casing and projectssomewhat below the'cut-out 83 of the front Wall; A carrier 8i is provided for cooperation with the casing 8i, and normally is vertically aligned with the open bottom, of said casing, said carrier being provided with an upstanding member 88 adapted to pass through the gap in the rear wall of the casing 8|, between and above the ears 89, and the match packet is pushed forwardly in such a way as to engage and flex the spring 89, and when the match packet is clear of the ears 84, the rear edge thereof drops, and the spring 99 then flips the match packet through the carrier 9'! into the chute 99 for delivery. The carrier B'lis reciprocably mounted upon a slide bar 89, and the latter is reciprocabiy carried by the plate 34', the outer end of said bar 89 having a cross-piece adapted to be engaged by the webs 9! of adjacent slides 59, so that when either slide 59 is operated, the slide bar 89 is carried for ward also, ejecting a box of matches at the time the article is dispensed, a spring 9i serving normally to urge the slide bar 89 toward its rearward position.

Provision is also made for dispensing matches in which the mechanism is controlled by the insertion of a coin, this mechanism comprising a casing 92, carrier 93, ejecting means 99, similar to the casing 9!, carrier 81, and leaf spring 89. In

this embodiment thercarrier 93 is mounted upon' a reciprocably mounted slide bar 95 having an exterior handle 95 by manipulation of which the bar 95 may be reciprocated, a spring 97 normally urging the bar 95 in a rearward direction. carried by the bar 95 is a coin pocket 98 adapted to receive a coin through a slot 99, and the side wall defining the coin pocket 98 has a cut-out I99 giving access to the interior of the pocket 98. Cooperable with the coin pocket 98 is a hooked exploring finger I95, pivotally mounted as at B2, and normally urged by a leaf spring ll 93, in a dircction to enter the cut-out I99, it being evident that when the bar 95, carrying the coin pocket 98, is moved forwardly, the finger l9! will enter the cut-out 99, and is so proportioned that if a proper coin is present, the finger l9! will be pressed outwardly by the coin so as to clear the wall of the coin pocket without hooking thereinto, and the coin pocket 98 permitted to pass; however, if no coin is present the finger I9! will 'move into the coin pocket far enough to hook into the wall defining the cut-out I99 and thus prevent further forward movement. As best shown in Figures 1 and 4, a plurality of coin chutes I94 are provided, one of said chutes E94 leading to each of the coin pockets 58 and 59, and entrance to each of the chutes I94 may be had through suitable slots in the front of the casing. A money box I95 is provided for storing the coins when delivered thereto by any of the slides 59 through suitable slots I97 in the plate 34.

In operation, one desiring a package of cigarettes, will deposit a nickel in one of the chutes E99 leading to the coin pocket 58, and a dime in one of the chutes I94 leading to the coin pocket 59, of the selected slide 59 associated with the stack 98 in which the preferred brand of cigarettes is stored, whereupon the slide may be drawn forwardly through a pull upon the handle 62. As the slide 59 moves forwardly, with a proper coin in each of the pockets 58 and59, the coin substantially filling each pocket 59 and 59 and exposed edgewise through the cut-out 99, will come into contact with an exploring finger 55 and swing the finger 65 about its pivot, and against the pressure exerted by the spring 57, thus moving the pin 98, carried by the finger 55, out of line with the notch 69, the finger 65 then being moved still farther in the same direction through contact with the side of the slide 59, as best shown at the left-hand forward portion of Figure 5. When the slide 59 has reached its forward limit of movement the coins in the pockets 58 and 59 fall through slots H11 in the plate 34 into the money box !99.

During forward movement of the slide 59, after the locking means have been passed, the pivoted latch l I carried by the slide 59, will ratchet freely over the rack 12 but only so long as the slide 59 is moved in a forward direction, the latch H preventing rearward movement, until the platform member 59 has been shifted suificiently to permit the lowermost article in the stack to drop to position so that rearward movement of the slide 59 under influence of the spring 55 will push the article against the spring 51a for delivery into the discharge chute 49.

Also during the free forward movement of the slide 59, the lever 16 is depressed due to coaction of the cam surface 18 thereon with the offset 19 carried by the slide 59, so as to project the finger M through the hole 25, and thus provide an abutment which will prevent the articles being shaken into the chute 49 while the slide 59 is in its forward position, the cam surface 89 of the lever 76 being engageable by the offset 19 upon return movement of the slide 59 to effect positive retraction of the finger 14.

Forward movement of the slide 59 also serves to dispense packets of matches, without charge, simultaneously with delivery of a packet of cigarettes. This operation occurs due to engagement between the slide 59, after it gets free of the coincontrolled means, and the cross-member 99, the latter serving through the slide 89 to draw the carrier 81, normally positioned vertically beneath the stack of match packets in the casing 8|, in a forward direction, causing the upstanding member 88 to move forwardly, and to move the lowermost packet of matches in a forward direction, the forward end of the match packet bearing upon the spring 86 and fiexing the same, and when the carrier 81 has been drawn forwardly a sufificient distance, the forward portion of the match packet drops, and the spring 86 then flips the match packet through the carrier 8'! and into the chute 49.

No forward movement of the slide 59 sufficient to dispense an article will be permitted to take place, however, unless proper coins are present in both of the pockets 58 and 59.

Should an attempt be made to draw the slide 59 forwardly without a coin present in the pocket 58, for instance, the exploring finger 35 enters the cut-out 69 .of the pocket, and encountering no coin, enters relatively deeply therein, as the slide 59 begins its forward movement, and before the finger 35 can be displaced by engagement with the defining wall of the cut-out 69, the pin 69 on the finger 35, enters deeply into the notch 59 of the slide, and since movement of the finger 35 can take place only about the pivot 66, and the slide 59 is confined to rectilineal movement, the pin 68 binds in the notch 69 and arrests further forward movement of the slide 59, thereby preventing the slide 59 from releasing an article to be dispensed; the finger 35 would act in a like manner in connection with the pocket 59 should no coin be present therewithin. Of course, arrest of movement of the slide 59, prevents any movement thereof, which would be instrumental in dispensing free match packets.

The coin-controlled mechanism for controlling dispensation of match packets for which a charge is made operates as follows. When a coin is present in the coin pocket 98, the hooked exploring finger i9! is encountered by the coin as the slide bar 95 moves forwardly, and the coin pushes the finger I9! aside and unimpeded forward movement of the slide bar takes place, drawing with it a packet of matches to be discharged in the same manner described in connection with the free match packets. Should no coin be present, however, the finger l9! enters more deeply into the pocket 99, and instead of being pushed aside by the coin, hooks into the wall of the cut-out I99 and prevents further forward movement of the slide bar 95.

From the foregoing it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiment herein disclosed accomplishes at least the principal object of the invention, that it has uses and advantages other than those herein particularly referred to, and that various other changes and 1. A coin-controlleddevice of the character described, comprising: 'a supporting member having a slot therein communicating with a money box; dispensing means reciprocably mounted. upon said sup-porting member; means for preventing unauthorized movement of said dispensing means, including a recess in said dispensing means, and a locking device pivotally mounted at one side of said dispensing means, normally urged athwart the path of said dispensing means, and having locking means spaced fromits pivot and disposable within the recess of said dispensing means to arrest movement of the same; and a coin receiver carried by'said dispensing means and positioned to carry a coin substantially parallel to the direction of movement of said dispensing means, said coin receiver being cut out-along its advance edge to present a coin substantially at right angles to said locking device for edgewise engagement with said locking device to shift the locking device to a position to allow unimpeded movement of said dispensing means, and said coin receiver being open at the bottom and adapted to register with the slot in said supporting member after said dispensing means has passed said locking device.

2. A coin-controlled device, comprising: dispensing means movable toward a predetermined position, and having locking elements at opposite sides thereof, each movable therewith along a predetermined path; a first pivoted control means having its pivot disposed at one side of the path of movement of the adjacent locking element, and having a free portion extending crosswise of said path, and provided with a locking element inter-engageable in one position with the adjacent locking element of said dispensing means, to connect the free portion of said pivoted means and said dispensing means; a second similar pivoted control means, similarly mounted at the opposite side of said dispensing means, extending in an opposite direction to said first pivotal control means, and cross-wise of the path of, and having a locking element engageable with, the opposite adjacent locking element of said dispensing means; and coin-controlled means for controlling the position of each of said pivoted control means.

3. A coin-controlled device, comprising: dispensing means movable toward a predetermined position along a predetermined path; means movable with said dispensing'means and forming a coin pocket adapted to present a coin vertically edgewise along the direction of movement of said dispensing means, said coin pocket being cut out along its forward edge; and pivoted control means swingable in a plane substantially normal to the broad face of a coin disposed in said pocket, having its pivot disposed at one side of the path of movement of said dispensing means, and having a free portion extending cross-wise of the path of said dispensing means, the latter and the free portion of said pivoted means having loclnng elements interengageable in one position to connect the free portion of said pivoted means and said dispensing means, said pivoted means having a portion adapted to enter the cut-out of saidcoin pocket, and operable through engagement' by a coin in said pocket to prevent interengagement of said locking elements,

4. A coin-controlled device, comprising: a first dispensing means movable toward a predetermined position and having a locking element movable therewith along a predetermined path; a similar second dispensing means mounted adjacent to, but spaced from, said first dispensing means; a first pivoted control means having its pivot disposed between said first and second dispensing means, and at one side of the path of movement of the locking element of said first dispensing means, and havinga free portion extending cross-wise of the path of said locking element of said first dispensing means, and provided with a locking element, said locking ele-' ments being interengageable in one position to connect the free portion of said pivoted means and said first dispensing means; and a second pivoted control means, similar to said first pivoted control means, and cooperable with said second dispensing means, said second pivoted control means being mounted to move about the same pivot as said first pivoted control means; and coin-controlled means for controlling the position of said pivoted control means.

5. A coin-controlled device, comprising: a first dispensing means movable toward a predetermined position and having a'locking element movable therewith along a predetermined path; a similar second dispensing means mounted adjacent to, but spaced from, said first dispensing means; a first pivoted control means having its pivot disposed between said first and second dispensing means, and at one side of the path of movement of the locking element of said first dispensing means, and having a free portion extending cross-wise of the path of said locking element of said first dispensing means,'and provided with a locking element, said locking elements being interengageable in one position to connect the free portion of said pivoted means and said first dispensing means; a second pivoted control means, similar to said first pivoted control means and cooperable with said second dispensing means, said second pivoted'control means being mounted to move about the same pivot as said first pivoted control means; a single spring for urging said pivoted control means in opposite directions; and coin-controlled means for controlling the position of said pivoted means.

6. A coin-controlled device, comprising: dispensing means movable toward a predetermined position along a predetermined path; means movable with said dispensing means and forming a coin pocket adapted to present a coin vertically edgewise along the direction of movement of said dispensing means; and pivoted control means swingable in a plane substantially normal to the broad face of a coin disposed in said pocket,

having its pivot disposed at one side of the path of movement of said dispensing means, and having a free portion extending cross-wise of the path of said dispensing means, the latter having an arcuate notch therein, and the free portion of 

